By all accounts, Clan Star Adder was one of the most progressive Clans. After the combat trials that decided which Clans would invade the Inner Sphere, Khan Cassius N'Buta knew that some of the paradigms that had come to define the Clan way of life would change considerably once mixed into the cauldron that is the Inner Sphere, so he charged a select group of warriors to develop new concepts while he likewise charged his senior Scientists with designing new technologies that would help the Star Adders retain their superiority. One of the products of this think-tank would eventually be the heavy laser. Another was the Corona BattleArmor.
         The Corona represented a departure from the well-defined battlefield tactics and customs of the Clans that, while not significant, were still radical enough to keep this battle armor from wide production for several years. The Adders had long-ago defined their need for mechanized BattleArmor cavalry, but what they did not have was a heavy cavalry-heavily armed ground troops able to seriously threaten even assault-class BattleMechs from a range. That was the problem with the standard Clan BattleArmor-once its missiles were expended, it had an extremely limited range. The Corona they designed was not so limited.

         The Corona's firepower is centered on a heavy support pulse laser, allowing it to reach ranges that no other Clan BattleArmor could, and with greater punch. Of course, there was a price for this significant increase in firepower. The Corona's designers had to drop the jump pack, significantly limiting its maneuverability. This was considered a secondary concern, however, as Corona points could still be delivered to a battlefield by OmniMechs. Once on the ground, they pack a greater punch at a longer range than their cousins. Their limited maneuverability and unique characteristics require new tactical thinking, which is why deployment was put off for so long.

         After the Burrock Absorption, however, the Corona was put into production. It didn't make its first true appearance in Clan Space for several years; apparently Clan Star Adder's leadership didn't want knowledge of their new BattleArmor leaking out until it could field it in great numbers. We don't know how the Hell's Horses obtained working copies of the design, though we assume they won them in trials sometime before they left the Clan Home Worlds behind. Their heavy firepower did much to help the Horses break into Clan Wolf territory, and after the Jihad the Clan placed them into full production. They have maintained and used the design ever since, and the arrival of a Star of Coronas is enough to make many BattleMech Stars find other places they want to be.